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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23608015">To Pursue a Falling Star</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOctopusofWriting/pseuds/TheOctopusofWriting'>TheOctopusofWriting</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, Final Fantasy AU, Fluff, M/M, Nakamaship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:22:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23608015</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOctopusofWriting/pseuds/TheOctopusofWriting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In decades to come the journey would become a legend of Gods, magic and myths, a tale of how a group of people came together to stop the Gods from destroying them all. How they managed to do it was a mystery that was lost to time. </p><p>In the present, a sudden unprecedented storm leaves destruction and loss in its wake. To some they believe it is the Gods fighting or punishing humanity. To one group of people why it happened does not matter, what matters is that they find whatever caused this, stop it and fix the flux the world has been thrown into.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Pursue a Falling Star</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title and summary are subject to change. I should probably read this over again before posting but oh well. </p><p>I just love final fantasy and one piece so thus this was born. its time to buckle up.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the decades that followed, the Revolt of the Hexatheoi would become a convoluted tale; at its core was a story of a grandiose adventure, a group of people facing down the sheer indomitable power of the Cosmos itself, and somehow emerging the other side victorious. There were many different versions of this story, each person who relayed it seemed to spin the facts in a way that varied from the next person who passed on the legend. In one, a brave hero sacrificed themselves to save the world, in another the group relied on sheer strength to overpower them, some included one of the Hexatheoi themselves turning on their own kind to help humanity, in others it was darker, tales of deals with the more nefarious of the Hexatheoi that had promises of a payment to be later cashed in. </p><p>The number of people who actually knew what happened between the Hexatheoi, which were known to humanity by their official names or simply referred to as Gods, and those who stood against them was but a small handful. Furthermore, those few people were not the kind to go and boast and tell the sordid details of how exactly the Revolt was ended. Even the identities of the group that had saved the world from certain destruction was unknown. </p><p>Kings, Leaders of Religion and Rulers of cities all loved to claim in following generations that their ancestor was one of the 10 who had saved the world to try and win them the favor of their citizens but with no way to prove who was involved in the quest it was nothing more than hearsay. Of course there were rumors, grandparents who had been alive during the Revolt itself seemed to speak of certain people they had met traveling on a journey that at the time seemed like nothing more than a delusional and suicidal endeavor. </p><p>But to get to the real root of the story is a complicated and twisting path, the easiest place to start was a day when fire fell from the sky, the earth shook and the seas overtook the land: a day that would forever be known as the Day of the Divine Revolt. </p><p> </p><p>Zoro huffed, casting his gaze up at the darkened sky as Kuina stalked past him without so much as a sideways glance. Off to his left, he could see Kuina’s father, Koshiro, sending him a sympathetic look that he casually acknowledged with a nod. Her father was no stranger to the two of them bickering and getting into arguments like this. Growing up together on an island with not much to do besides training or going to the temple left the two of them with plenty of time to grate on each other’s nerves as children. </p><p>“I’ll talk to her later if you want me to.” Koshiro offered kindly, stepping up to Zoro and placing a familiar and comforting hand on his shoulder. </p><p>Zoro shrugged the hand off slowly so as not to seem ungrateful for the display of camaraderie. “It’s fine. I’ll talk with her, it's nothing much.” </p><p>Koshiro chuckled and tucked his hands back into his robes, cocking his head off to the side, “I heard your argument, half of the island probably heard it as well.” </p><p>Zoro grunted. “I still don’t think that it was that big of an issue, I don’t know what she’s so mad for.” </p><p>“You know my daughter well, so you know her pride is important to her.”</p><p>Zoro let out an exasperated puff of air, “Which is why I don’t get why she doesn’t agree with me.” </p><p>Koshiro turned to face him fully, the amused look slipping off of his face for a more considering, serious search of Zoro’s expression. “Explain it to me and I’ll see if I understand what is going on.”</p><p>Scrubbing a hand through his already disheveled hair, Zoro explained. “It has to do with you too I guess. I don’t understand why after training at the dojo together our whole lives to become great swordsmen like we both promised, to train and set off to fight all the monsters we can but then Kuina up and switched to training to become a priestess. It’s not like the temple is new, it's been the only other damn thing on this island besides the dojo since they were both established.”</p><p>“While it is true I advocated for this path for Kuina, she ultimately chose this herself. You know what the temple teaches us and how important it is we all ask for benevolence and forgiveness from the Gods.”</p><p>“You say that like I believe in those shitty beings anyhow.” Zoro snorted, “Those things aren’t Gods, they're just monsters that are more powerful than the ones we go off and fight.”</p><p>“You may believe that but the temple and most of the islanders follow the ways of the Temple, Kuina and myself included.” </p><p>“And I’m just supposed to believe that this island’s paranoia of the Hexatheoi wanting to revolt is more important to Kuina than her dream?” Zoro asked, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. </p><p>Koshiro shook his head and took a step back, “I can’t explain Kuina’s choices to you, but you may be able to catch her before they go in for the nightly prayers and rituals.” Koshiro cast a worried glance up at the dark sky, “With how the sky has been almost black since this morning I fear they are going to be in there for a long time, so I’d speak to her now before you lose your chance.” </p><p>He thought it over for a second before nodding in agreement with Koshiro. Zoro adjusted the two swords at his waist in a display that only few would be able to recognize as stress and took off in a slight jog in the direction Kuina had stormed off in. It was true that they had gotten in many arguments before but in the past they lasted merely a few hours and were usually settled in a spare that always ended with Zoro getting his ass handed to him, but this one had gone on for a day already and Kuina had resolutely ignored all his previous attempts at settling up until now. </p><p>It only took a few moments of jogging before Zoro could easily pick Kuina out from the rest of the priests and priestesses all gathered around the temple doors. For starters, Kuina was the only one with a white scabbard strapped to her back.</p><p>It was a sword that Zoro knew as well as his own two blades, a family heirloom that Kuina had trained tirelessly and endlessly with. The only lasting hold she had on her previous dreams, now that she had cast her armor off for the loose flowing robes of the priestesses. </p><p>“Kuina!” He called out as he was within earshot of her. The other priests and priestesses turned at his disturbance before going back to disregarding him. </p><p>The people who worshipped at the temple tended not to give him much thought after their attempts to get him to come to prayer or to heed their beliefs were all met with indifference at best and derision at worst.</p><p>“What is it, Zoro? We’re about to start the rituals you won’t be allowed in, and even if you were you wouldn’t step foot in a temple.” Kuina said accusingly, narrowing her eyes at Zoro. </p><p>Zoro bit back the rising bubble of anger he felt so as not to end this conversation like all their other ones have in the past day, with strident tones and angry gestures.</p><p>“Your dad sent me over to talk to you-” Zoro began but was cut off but the indignant noise Kuina let out. </p><p>He sighed as Kuina began to speak over him, “Oh so you couldn’t figure out for yourself that we needed to speak? You needed my father to tell you that?” </p><p>“I tried but you just brushed me off!” Zoro snapped back. “Just to come dothis stupid priestess shit!” </p><p>“And you wonder why I brushed you off? Excuse me for not wanting to hear you ridicule my life choices once again.” Kuina said angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and moving to turn away once again. </p><p>“I just don’t get it!” Zoro countered. “Why throw away training to be a swordsman when that's all we’ve done our whole lives? You didn’t even believe this worship stuff when we were kids.” </p><p>Kuina paused, glancing at Zoro with a probing look, one not dissimilar to the look her father had also given Zoro. “Sometimes there are things more important than your own dreams, I realized that.”</p><p>At the disbelieving look Zoro threw her way, Kuina turned back to face him and unstrapped Wado from her back, staring down at the sword with a complicated look in her eyes. “For so long, this sword was the only thing I thought I wanted. My father was never able to become a priest, he lacked the White Magic necessary, so he trained with our families sword to protect the people the only way he knew how. For so long I thought I wanted that too. That following his footsteps and surpassing him was the only way to honor him and our way of life, but earlier this year I found out that I can do White Magic.”</p><p>This made Zoro stumble in his thoughts and in turn made him halt the agitated posture he had been holding. He had not even noticed when Kuina had developed her magic. He just knew one day they were in the dojo together and the next she was tossing out her training clothes for robes. He can vaguely remember the older members of their island gossiping about magic for some reason he just never cared enough for their nattering to connect the dots to Kuina.</p><p>She continued on, seemingly not noticing Zoro’s pause, “From then I started to actually listen to what my father and the temple had been saying and I found myself agreeing with them.” Kuina gripped the sword tighter and looked up at Zoro. “Even if these beings are nothing more than  just monsters like you say; it doesn’t change the fact that the monsters that attack and hurt people never go near their temples means something. Moreso than that, they’re right to fear retribution from them, for too long humans have been asking and taking too much, maybe the monsters are just the first step of a punishment the Hexatheoi are giving us.” </p><p>Kuina paused for a breath, looking out into the distance, in the quiet between them Zoro vaguely could hear the crash of the nearby ocean, their island was small enough that you could hear the waves from any point on the land. After a few moments, and a quick glance up at the still darkening sky, Kuina pressed Wado into this chest. </p><p>“I realize now that this is not the only way to keep the people safe and that is what I want to do and what I would give my life doing. So from now on you hold onto this for me so that our old shared dream is one day realized. I won’t need it anymore, I have a new way to fight for the people.” </p><p>Zoro stared at her, a barely hidden expression of shock passing across his face. “You’re sure this isn’t because of that crazy traveler we had a few months ago? The one who wouldn’t shut up about the Gods being in flux and fighting’ and the ‘end times are coming’ and that bullshit?”</p><p>A small chuckle slipped out from Kuina breaking her serious expression and lightening the mood between them. She idly shrugged one shoulder, “I won’t lie, his words did cause somewhat of a storm in the Temple but ultimately no, this is for me.” </p><p>With a slow move of his hand, Zoro went to take the sword from Kuina, touching the blade almost reverently. He had heard enough of the importance of this sword from the family that had all but adopted him since he was a child to know it was only to be treated with the utmost respect. He went to tug it from her grasp and when he felt resistance cast a confused look at Kuina and the mischievous expression on her face. </p><p>“Besides,” Kuina simpered. “You need all the help you can get since you never once beat me even if you had 5 swords you’d be no match for me.” </p><p>Usually, Zoro would give an affronted shout and challenge Kuina to another rematch after saying something like that, but with the tense atmosphere that had just cleared up and the determined and resolute look in her eye, Zoro just chuckled amusedly and tugged the sword free from her grasp. </p><p>“Fine, I’ll go become the best swordsman and you can dance circles in a room with old people.” Zoro smirked, carefully attaching Wado at his waist. </p><p>Kuina’s eyes glittered with amusement but before she could respond the rest of the temple priests and priestesses were calling her to come and join them. She threw a quick “I’ll see you after!” as she ran off to join them. </p><p>Rolling his shoulders in a show of relief and relaxation, Zoro turned and began walking up to the hill that was home to his favorite training location. </p><p>The steady pace of his well-worn training routine was rote and practically meditative for Zoro as he led himself through forms and strikes that he could practically do in his sleep. As he took a brief pause to take a small gulp of water and wipe the sweat that slowly tracked down the side of his face and neck, Zoro took note of how the weather had changed in what must have been the few hours he had been training. </p><p>Prior to starting his training, the sky was dark but now the wind whistled and howled as it wove through the trees around him. Casting a glance at the beach that lay below the hill he was standing upon Zoro could see the waves were much more rough that was the norm for this time of year. In the dead heat of summer it was normal for the seas to roil and churn, for boats to be tossed upon the waves like a child’s toy flung into the air. But for this time of the year, the seas were normally still and calm, but the vigorous crashing and the yelling of the local fisherman as they struggled to dock and restrain their ships told a very different story. </p><p>For a long moment, Zoro considered returning to his training, could feel the pull of his muscles from his workout and knew he was able to get a few more repetitions in before he would be too sore to continue. There was something holding him back though, a small, rankling feeling that worked at the back of his mind. He stayed still and silent for a few more moments, the Earth continuing to rage around him, wind threatening to push him down the hill with a strong gust, and he watched the fishermen below him. </p><p>As they finished tying off their ships and helping each other onto the dock, they all began sprinting in the direction of the town’s hub.</p><p>In the direction of the temple. </p><p>Zoro cursed under his breath and skidded down the grassy slope of the hill, tripping where grass gave way to sand as he almost fell to his knee at transition. He picked himself up and took off with the steadily gathering crowds.</p><p>He sprinted to the main hub, breath coming out in harsh pants as he dodged around the other villagers. His eyes were fixed on the horizon waiting to see the temple breach into his line of view. </p><p>As the rain began to pour from the sky, a deep relieved breath left Zoro’s chest, leaving his chest feeling almost hollow after how forceful it had been. The rain-soaked but undamaged roof of the temple had finally come into sight and with it the mass of people who were gathered in front of it. </p><p>They stood in lines and seemed to sway back and forth, their hands were raised and he could make out the barest of distinguishable words from the rapid speaking they were all doing. From what Zoro could make of the scene the whole town was gathering to pray in front of the temple. </p><p>His eyes searched the crowd quickly but it took almost no time for him to pick Koshiro out as one the first people in line, hands thrown high in prayer with those around him. </p><p>Stopping abruptly to a halt, a village woman who had been following close behind him collided solidly with his back. He turned to help her straighten up and held a hand in her sleeve to keep her where she was for a second. </p><p>“What are the people doing? What’s going on with the temple?” He bit out, raising his voice to speak over the masses gathering around them, the steady pitch of the chanting rising in volume as more people entered the hub. </p><p>“Oh I’m not too sure but about half an hour ago the seas and the wind picked up and all the priests and priestesses went back to the temple. I think they’re trying to pray to the whole Hexatheoi for our island's safety. I saw them prepping the ceremony circles through the doorway before it closed.” She spoke, shifting her weight from foot to foot uneasily as she watched more people converge in town.</p><p>The woman looked around at the people passing by them before leaning closer to him to whisper conspiratorially. </p><p>“I heard some folks talking by the temple earlier,” she began, “They’re worried us normal people may be caught in the crossfire if this truly is the Hexatheoi fighting amongst themselves. Others are thinking that they are punishing us for our greed. Regardless, I will pray for our safety with the others, you keep yourself safe son”. </p><p>Zoro nodded at her in thanks before she took off with the rest of the townsfolk that were still making their way to the gathering.</p><p>Once again entering the mass of people Zoro moved swiftly through the crowd until he was situated somewhere behind the lines of people praying. He picked a spot on the wall to lean against and watch the temple and its worshipers with an observant eye. So far, nothing the woman had told him was any new information. It was the same paranoid rhetoric the temple followers had been saying for the past few weeks. </p><p>The rain continued to pick up strength and the people gathered in the square were all steadily soaked through. It looked as if they’d all been swimming in the ocean rather than standing in the heart of the town. There were soldiers appointed at varying parts of the town square most likely to ensure the masses kept calm.</p><p>Zoro knew most of the soldiers and were friendly with them, often training alongside them at random times when he wanted to change up his own routine. </p><p>The air in the town square was tense, Zoro couldn’t quite tell what it was but it was charged. The crowd's chanting seems to have reached a fever pitch. The voices were louder than the rolling thunder overhead or the violent slam of the waves against the docks. </p><p>There was a fleeting moment of quiet, the time it took to breath between one prayer and the next, but the moment was almost suffocating in the tense atmosphere that had settled over the crowd. </p><p>Zoro felt his hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand up.</p><p>There was a resounding crack and a bright flash of light. The earth seems to roll beneath their feet. </p><p>Zoro had closed his eyes at the blinding white that had suddenly overtaken them but before he could open them again the chanting crowd from before had been replaced with screams and cries.</p><p>His eyes shot open and there was a disconnect between what he was seeing and what his brain was processing. </p><p>No matter how long he stared at it, the image was hard to rectify. The townspeople, most had overcome the initial shock and had now started to run from the town hub, away from the buildings and heading towards the relatively flat surface of the beach. As they shoved and pushed each other on the way out, Zoro blinked numbly at the space in front of him where the temple had stood unmarred only seconds before. </p><p>What stood there now was only rubble. Distantly, in his mind he could piece together what had happened. </p><p>Lightning had struck the temple and it had promptly been destroyed upon impact. Zoro felt frozen in place but he could almost track out how the scenario had gone by the pieces of rubble that were strewn about the town center. There were pieces of the temple that had exploded outward and unfortunately Zoro could make out the people beneath them who had been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. </p><p>The temple itself must have collapsed upon the explosive impact of the lightning and even though Zoro was staring at the pile of scorched rubble he did not see any movement from those that had been inside. </p><p>There was a hollow, chilling feeling in his chest. It clawed at the surface and pierced his lungs, suffocating him in his grief. He knew Kuina had been in there and with the lack of movement or apparent survivors something in his mind just knew there was little hope to be found. </p><p>A few soldiers and a few of the people who had been praying but managed to avoid being crushed or injured by the pieces of building that had exploded outward from the impact, hesitantly approached the rubble. </p><p>At their anguished cries and yells, Zoro bit back the feeling of bile rising up his throat as his fears were confirmed. Among the voices that were shouting and looking for any semblance of survivors from the temple he could not make out the usually deep and resounding voice of Koshiro. </p><p>His heart tripped in his chest as he finally stumbled away from the wall. He carefully picked his way past the injured villagers who were seated on the ground in a daze and he moved away from the villagers that lay still and immobile beneath the stones. </p><p>On the ground, mere feet away from the ruins of the temple, Zoro found him. Koshiro was laid out on his back; he would almost seem uninjured if not for the blood that was matted to his hair and stained down the side of his face. His glasses had fallen off and cracked, the frames were bent out of shape and the glass itself was crushed, from either the blow of the temple stone or from the fall Koshiro had taken. </p><p>Choking on the feeling of his heart in his throat, Zoro slowly knelt down next to him. He realized that Koshiro’s eyes were half open still and glazed over. Despite knowing what the result would be Zoro pressed his shaking fingers carefully to the side of his neck. </p><p>The body was warm, but there was no pulse to be found, beyond Zoro’s own pulse that was pounding in the tips of his fingers.</p><p>His chest felt as if it were cracking in two. The rain still beat steadily on the back of his head, the water sliding from his hair and the planes of his face and dropping onto Koshiro below him. He grit his jaw after taking a steadying breath and closed Koshiro’s eyes, carefully folding his glasses and placing them on top of his chest. </p><p>Zoro gave himself two minutes of silence before he picked himself up and set to helping the soldiers. </p><p>Whatever was left in his chest shattered and broke when they finally pulled Kuina from the rubble and placed her next to her father. </p><p>In its place was just the vacant space of grief and the simmering boil of anger. </p><p> </p><p>The week that followed was somber to say the least. The island as a whole was not very large so a loss on this scale was a devastating blow to the community, on top of that many of the islanders used the temple and its teaching as guidance and with that one fell swoop the rug had been pulled from under their feet as a whole.</p><p>It was like the population of the island was sent out to sea without a rudder. Some tried to get back into normal habits as quickly as possible, some wandered listlessly around the town center, always circling back to the site of the temple ruins. Most people fell somewhere between the two, they’d go about their work but there were always periods of the day when people would just be somewhat vacant. </p><p>The news that reached them from other islands and the mainland spoke of similar disasters on many of them. It seems that they were not the only community rocked with natural disasters and loss. </p><p>It left people more on edge, people were more suspicious of their Gods either fighting among themselves or punishing humanity as a whole. </p><p>Zoro didn’t care about either of those beliefs. He could care less if the ‘Gods’ were fighting among themselves or angry at humanity, all of his grief had been boiled down to anger and a single minded purpose. He was not sure how but he wanted to make these overgrown monsters pay.</p><p>But with no real direction to start in, he was just stuck on the island, pushing himself through his daily paces while his mind trawled over different ways he could start this journey. </p><p>At night in the quiet of his home he would kneel in front of the sword Kuina had bequeathed him. He was not ashamed to admit he would question the sword on what he should do. He knew that sword would never answer him, it was just an object, but having something act as a sounding board, having something to stand in for Kuina or Koshiro was comforting in it’s own way. </p><p>A small consolation was that he had not forgotten his original goal. If anything, the tragedy had just emboldened Zoro in his desire to see his dreams fulfilled. </p><p>He and Kuina had spoken many times when they were younger about how they’d achieve their goal to be the greatest swordsman alive. It boiled down to the idea that they would travel to the mainland where monsters were known to inhabit the valleys and defeat as many as it took to become infamous and from there they would travel to one of Temples of the Hexatheoi, to defeat the legendary swordsman who guarded its entrance. </p><p>For the moment, Zoro was seated outside one of the small taverns in the town, he sipped slowly at his drink while he watched the people of the town milling about. Out of the corner of his vision, an unfamiliar trio caught his eye. It was two women and a man debating over food in the market that lay just beyond the tavern Zoro was seated at. </p><p>From this distance, he couldn’t tell much about them. One of the women had bright orange hair and was dressed similar to most women he’d see on the island, the man had dark hair and a long nose and was also dressed in a casual way, the outlier was the other woman with long bright blue hair and a flowing dress he recognized as an outfit similar to the ones the priestesses wore at the temple. </p><p>He observed them pay for their food and ask something from the shopkeeper, talking amongst themselves before giving the keeper a nod in thanks. The trio packed their items away and then began walking down the road that Zoro knew led to the ruins of where the temple used to be.  </p><p>Without really thinking about it Zoro acted on impulse and got up to follow after the group, throwing some coins on his table as he left his half empty drink behind him. </p><p>He kept pace with the group. Far enough back that they wouldn’t really see him unless someone in their group was very observant. </p><p>The downside to this was that he was also far enough back that he could not hear any of what the group was saying. </p><p>As he walked behind them, Zoro considered there were very little options of what they could be doing. He admitted to himself that it was possible the priestess was on a journey to visit temples or maybe just temples that were destroyed in the recent attacks, but if that were the case why was she traveling with two companions who looked like regular civilians and not the usual entourage of other priests and bodyguards.</p><p>Shaking his head lightly to clear out his thoughts, Zoro once again focused on the group in front of him that had now come to a stop at the edge of the temple ruins. The blue haired woman and the man had stopped at the edge, head bowed in respect. </p><p>In the split second it took him to notice the other woman was no longer there, a hard wrought instinct had him drawing his sword from his sheath just enough to block a small dagger aimed at him. </p><p>From the angle, Zoro could tell the weapon was not meant to actually harm him. More than likely, his assailant was going to use it to press up against his neck or threaten him. </p><p>He looked up from the weapon to meet the orange haired woman’s poorly disguised look of shock that was easily read across her face. </p><p>The two of them were locked in a stalemate, neither drawing back their weapons. The woman dropped the surprised look from her face and closed off her expression with a hastily settled look of stoicism. </p><p>There may have been a chance it would have fooled Zoro and he would have been convinced of her conviction to attack him, had he not seen her surprise or the non-lethal way she was currently gripping her dagger. </p><p>“A word of advice if you’re going to attack someone it helps to thrust the blade at them and not the hilt. That is if you are trying to do something more than just bluff and try and threaten me.” Zoro smirked.</p><p>His grin grew sharp with an almost wicked curl to the edges as he saw the woman freeze opposite him. </p><p>She gave an annoyed huff and straightened up, sheathing her dagger back beneath the long skirt she was wearing. Through the barely noticeable slit in the cloth, Zoro caught the quick image of a staff strapped to her leg as well. Intrigue lit up in his mind as he realized that perhaps there was more to these three than he’d originally thought. </p><p>He knew based on her outfit choice that easily blended in with the community on the island, the covert weapons she had on her that this woman must have been a thief, but what did a thief have to do with a priestess and a normal civilian. </p><p>“A word of advice for you: if you’re going to tail someone try not to be so obvious or walk so loudly.” She bit back crossing her arms over her chest as her two companions turned around having noticed the noise and began walking over to join them. </p><p>Zoro felt his expression freeze for a moment, not expecting to be so quickly called out for following them, and he couldn’t quite stop the reflexive amused snort he let out at the remark.</p><p>“Alright, alright let’s not start a fight in the middle of the street.” The priestess said as she walked over. </p><p>The man beside her cast a worried glance between Zoro and the other woman and then to the soldiers that routinely patrolled the streets. </p><p>“Yeah,” he agreed weakly, “Let’s not fight here. If I had my bow it’d be a whole different story!” He suddenly exclaimed. “Those swords would be no match for me!.”</p><p>The man finished his exclamation by puffing out his chest and jabbing his thumb into it, his long nose tilted upwards. </p><p>Zoro blinked at him before shrugging and not even acknowledging what he said. He saw the two women sigh and shake their heads as well. </p><p>“Wait guys you’re not even going to agree with me?” He yelped, falling out of his posturing as his shoulders went slack.</p><p>“Why don’t we sit somewhere and talk Mr. Swordsman?” The priestess asked firmly, ignoring the sputtering man to her side. </p><p>Zoro rolled his neck, considering the option. “Alright.” </p><p>He led them off of the main town hub, taking them a short walk away closer to the beach where there was more privacy for them to speak amongst themselves. </p><p>Grabbing the first table he found in the secluded area Zoro sat down with a heavy thump and gestured for the others to do the same. </p><p>“So who are you and what’re you doing on the island?” </p><p>“Isn’t it polite to introduce yourself first?” The orange haired woman groused.</p><p>Zoro shrugged. “Fine. I’m Roronoa Zoro, a swordsman.” </p><p>The priestess spoke up first, “I’m Vivi, as you could probably guess I’m a priestess of the Hexatheoi.” She idly moved some of her long blue hair behind her ear as she spoke.</p><p>Zoro could hear the faintest tinkling of the bells that were woven throughout her hair. He stilled for a moment remembering how Kuina would talk about how only priestesses who had been trained in worship rituals of all six gods would begin to earn bells and adornments for their robes and hair. </p><p>“I’m Nami.” The other woman said curtly. </p><p>“You’re a thief.” Zoro guessed, “I saw your weapons earlier.” </p><p>“Well you’re not wrong. Sadly, you had no money on you at all to steal.” </p><p>Zoro opened his mouth to yell at the woman for trying to rob him but she cut him off speaking loudly, “And this here is Usopp, he’s an archer or at least he says he is.” </p><p>“I am!” Usopp yelled, “Nami you’ve seen me shoot! I never miss.”  He directed the last part at Zoro, looking at him imploringly as if trying to make him believe it from word alone.</p><p>Unsure of what to do with that or what to say in response, Zoro just nodded and turned back to Vivi. </p><p>“So what are you here because of the temple’s destruction?” Zoro questioned, arching an eyebrow at Vivi, who just smiled patiently and folded her hands. </p><p>“That would be part of the reason. After the storms and temple destruction a week ago, I left my home with the intent of visiting many temples. Nami and Usopp here are coming with me as my Guardians technically.” </p><p>“Well I don’t know what that’ll do for you the priests and priestesses were praying in that temple when it was destroyed so I doubt these so-called Gods will give a shit.” </p><p>“Do you not believe that the Hexatheoi are real? Or do you not believe they are Gods?” Vivi asked, cocking her head to the side. </p><p>“I don’t really have much regard for them at all, if they are real then I think they’re overpowered fiends. Nothing Godlike or Celestial about them.” Zoro bit out, feeling familiar anger sizzling beneath his skin. </p><p>Usopp yelped a bit and looked around them warily. “Hexatheoi if you’re listening I’m not with him don’t smite me please.” </p><p>“What do you know of the temples?” Vivi asked him.</p><p>“Not much.” Zoro admitted, “I know people like you do ceremonies in them and that’s about it.” </p><p>Vivi hummed which lightly covered the amused snort Nami had let out at her side. Zoro didn’t have to look at her to know she was sending him a snide look. </p><p>“Well out here on these outer islands there are just basic temples, they have places to worship for all 6 gods. A lot of these temples were damaged during the weird weather and storms from the past week.” Vivi explained hands lightly flitting through the air as she talked. </p><p>“So you’re what? Just visiting them all to pray to these ‘Gods’ to not kill a bunch of their priests and priestesses again?”  Zoro grit out, just barely keeping the edge of his anger under control as he was reminded again of the situation last week and just what he, just what they, had all lost.</p><p>“I understand you are angry about what happened but getting short with us won’t solve it.” Nami said warningly, before continuing, “It’s not like we don’t feel the same.” which she had muttered under her breath. </p><p>“Nami, it’s okay, no one knows exactly what each person has lost in the past week. It’s safe to assume everyone has lost someone or something they care about.” Vivi soothed placing a hand gently on Nami’s shoulder, the other girl visibly relaxing her posture at the gesture. </p><p>Usopp was also uncharacteristically somber as Vivi spoke. </p><p>It piqued Zoro’s interest and cut through the red haze of his anger. Vivi continued to speak before he could say anything to the others. </p><p>“But you are only partly wrong, Zoro. As a priestess, yes I’m going to each of these temples to pray for those who are lost, but beyond that I have another goal in mind.”</p><p>“What is it?” Zoro leaned forward, his interest fully caught. </p><p>Vivi looked around them, for the first time seeming a little unsure. </p><p>“Well,” She began awkwardly, “I had a plan to go to the mainland and visit the temples there as well for answers. You’re probably unaware but on the mainland there are temples for each of the six Hexatheoi. It’s said in old times priests or priestesses were able to summon and commune with the Gods. So I was going to go visit each one to ask for them to try and solve this problem or at least figure out what happened.”</p><p>“There’s also the rumor we heard back at Vivi’s home temple.” Nami whispered conspiratorial. “They said that the reason the Gods are fighting and there was so much chaos was because one of them turned on the others and left.” </p><p>Usopp visibly gulped before speaking shakily, one of his hands ruffling through his own hair, “I really hope we don’t run into one if that's true.”</p><p>“You could always just run away if we did. If I see an angry God on the road I’d split so fast.” Nami sighed. “If that’s what they’re like when fighting between each other, imagine that concentrated on you? I’m a thief for a reason.”</p><p>“Nami! Don’t jinx us!” Usopp cried out. </p><p>“Regardless, I want to try and see if I can get them to stop attacking humanity. I want to try and stop whatever rampage they’re on and if they won’t then I’m going to try and stop them.” Vivi spoke confidently once again. </p><p>Zoro held her gaze unwavering. There was a resolve in her eyes that reminded him of Kuina and her determination back when they would fight each other. </p><p>“You said you were going to each of the six main temples?” Zoro asked after deliberating for a while. </p><p>He could see an intersection here, a cross between staying here on the island or a chance at something more. It was so easy to imagine how the first one would play out, he’d just need to consider Koshiro and how he lived his life. </p><p>The more Zoro thought about this new possibility, the more a sense of urgency in him grew. It was clawing at his mind and his heart thumped in time with it.</p><p>It was no longer the bitter taste of anger in his throat that he was choking on. It was a sense of excitement, stealing the breath from his lungs. </p><p>“I have two ambitions in my life.” Zoro began, “One is to become the best swordsman. The other is to make whoever caused this pay.” He paused to let out a wry chuckle, that caused one of his three companions to give him an apprehensive look while the other two were knowing. </p><p>“Looks like I have a need to go visit these temples too.” A mirth-tinged smirk curved it’s way onto Zoro’s face. “And it seems you need a bodyguard who’s a little bit better in a fight.”</p><p>Nami just let out a long suffering sigh while Usopp sputtered to life, once again protesting about his abilities with his as of yet unseen weapon. </p><p>Vivi let out a gleeful laugh, a hand unsuccessfully covering her mouth to try and smother the delighted giggles. “They’ve done just fine so far Mr. Swordsman, but if you’d like to join us I’d be more than happy for you to come along. We’re leaving your island tomorrow and heading to another neighboring one.” </p><p>Zoro took no time at all to think over his options any longer. “I’ll see you by the port tomorrow morning”. </p><p>Zoro got up to leave not waiting for their responses but still threw a parting wave at the call of “Welcome to the team!” that was yelled after him.</p>
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